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TC Finds a Mecca For Prayer

February 16, 2011 by

A group led by senior Mohammed Tasleem prays in the auditorium every friday.

Every Friday at 1:30pm, some students are allowed to leave class to go pray. These students who believe that they must pray each Friday because of religious purposes, get a prayer pass which allows them to leave class early to pray. TC has held prayer sessions at school for the past three years but the location of prayer was not as respectable as it is now because it never became an issue until senior Mohammad Tasleem, brought it to the attention of Ms. Maxey and Ms. Moran. “I was really impressed with the caliber number of students that came because they were really mature and they approached it well,” said Ms. Moran. That was when Ms. Maxey decided to allow certain students to pray every Friday within the auditorium doors in which they get to leave class early. Along with this new rule, students can also pray Monday through Thursday at the library during B, C, or D lunch. Praying in the auditorium allowed the students to pray in a more private place than the conference room they used before.

At first, a couple students took advantage of being able to leave class early even though they did not go pray. This issue caused Ms. Maxey to reconsider the program which is being run by Tasleem. He has come up with an efficient way so that the students who are serious about praying do not lose their privileges. Students that want to pray must go to the main office in the morning and receive a pass from room A-102 where that pass will be signed by Ms. Hill. After each Friday prayer, Tasleem must call role from the sign-in sheet to ensure that no students are allowed to get a pass to class because they are late even though they did not pray.

For Tasleem, the Friday prayer is an important part of his life. Tasleem said that, “Just like how Christians get together in church on Sunday for a religious purpose and just like how [Jews] get together on Saturday for a religious purpose, Muslims are obliged by the Quran for a congressional prayer on Friday, which also includes a religious sermon.” Tasleem believes that the Friday prayer service should continue even though students are missing class. “Well, if a student has a good grade in that class then I guess the teacher doesn’t mind. It also depends on the teacher as well,” said Tasleem. Mr. Dennis, a history teacher has several students that leave his class including Tasleem and it is not a problem to him. “I don’t think people would make the request [to pray] and take advantage of it,” said Mr. Dennis.

Filed Under: News

TC Athletes Score College Commitments

November 5, 2010 by

Seniors Anjuli DeWakar, Demi Williams and Jay Whitmire will continue playing the sports they love in college.

For many years, T.C.’s star athletes have been recruited by colleges. Senior athletes sometimes find deciding which college to attend diffucult due to the many choices college scouts present them with. Every college offers different incentives in an attempt to persuade that player to go to their school. These offers can range from a full scholarship to a guaranteed starting spot on the team.

Senior Demi Williams is a forward on the T.C. varsity girls basketball team and hopes to go to Stevenson University in Maryland. Other colleges that pursued Williams are Shenandoah University, Wilson College, Washington College and Christopher Newport University. Since Williams will play Division III basketball and not Division I, she is not eligible for an athletic scholarship. However, this does not affect her love for basketball. “I have worked at [basketball] for so many years. It’s only right I play in college because it’s a part of my life,” said Williams.

Varsity lacrosse player Anjuli DeWakar has verbally committed to play lacrosse at Columbia University in New York City. For DeWakar, playing lacrosse in college came as a surprise. “I knew that I always wanted to play sports when I was younger, but I did not expect to go to college to play a sport,” said DeWakar. “I want to play in college because it will give me a chance to take a game, that I have committed so much time to, to the next level. I hope to learn and grow as a player from this experience,” said DeWakar, who has been playing lacrosse for eight years. DeWakar’s love for lacrosse will continue to grow.

Jay Whitmire plays varsity football and is in the same position as DeWakar and Williams. An All-Met selection by The Washington Post, Whitmire has been offered full scholarships to Boston College, the University of Cincinnati, University of Connecticut, Duke University, North Carolina University, North Carolina State University, the University of Notre Dame, Penn State, the University of Pittsburgh, Rutgers University, and West Virginia University.

For Whitmire, the decision is not easy because he is still deciding on where he wants to go. “I like playing football and it will be great to play in college and be on TV,” said Whitmire. Whitmire has dedicated seven years to football and hopes to play professionally but he also plans on getting a degree.

For these athletes, committing to play a sport for a college requires the support of their parents. “My mom dedicates herself to the sport also, taking me to workouts, driving me hundreds of miles for tournaments and showcases. She has always been behind me 100 percent” said Williams. “My parents support my decision to play in college. They feel like it will help me learn time management because I have to go to classes and play a sport, as well as discipline,” said DeWakar. “I think [my parents] are very happy because they don’t have to pay,” said Whitmire. Without their parents’ full support and the influence they have on their decisions these athletes would not be as committed to sports as they are today.

Athletes like Williams, DeWakar and Whitmire have dedicated many years of their lives to hard work and practice for the sport that they love. All their determination has paid off but it is still the beginning of a long journey for these athletes.

Filed Under: News, Sports

The Perfect Ten

October 11, 2010 by

The varsity field hockey team refers to their seniors as the "Perfect Ten".

On September 14, the T.C. varsity field hockey team celebrated a victory over Robinson Secondary, ending with a score of 7-1. Led by Captains Katelyn Clarke, Charlie Digby and Anjuli Dewakar, the varsity field hockey team’s record is now 7-2. This year’s varsity team is rumored to be the best in years, not only because of players’ skill levels, but also because of the tight bond these 10 seniors have formed. The bonding kicked off at Colonial Beach where the girls stayed for a weekend at senior Charlie Digby’s beach house. The team refers to their seniors as the “Perfect Ten”.

The Perfect Ten includes Kelsey Donley, Erin Smith, Maeve Bracken, Rebecca Kahn, Morgan Garner, Anjuli Dewakar, Katelyn Clarke, Charlie Digby, Kati Burdett and Emily Leidolf. Clarke admitted, “I think we’re good. We just have to stay focused.”  The varsity field hockey coach, Coach Heresniak, Digby and Clarke all agree that the team’s biggest threats are South County, Woodson and Lake Braddock.

Heresniak believes that this team can go all the way. “I have had teams with a lot of potential but this team has more dedication than any other team I’ve had,” said Heresniak. The team goal is to go to states. “As a team, we would really like to make it to states, which is a lofty goal,” said Clarke. “The expectations are really high. We want to go [further] in regionals then we did before,” said Digby. Although the team is setting its goals high, it has already surpassed some accomplishments. “Our biggest accomplishments were beating Oakton and Chantilly,” said Digby. Oakton and Chantilly were both games where the team was on the verge of losing, but their strong bond and hard practices paid off in the final moments. T.C. beat Chantilly 3-2 and enjoyed a 2-1 victory over Oakton.

This year’s varsity field hockey team practices every day for two hours at the Minnie Howard field. All the hours of practice, as well as the Perfect Ten’s bond, show from the second the team comes out on the field. The team’s first scrimmage was against J.E.B. Stuart and they did not give Stuart any chance to score on them. The game ended 5-0. The Perfect Ten, along with the other players on the varsity team and Coach Heresniak, share a bond that other teams do not, which gives them an advantage. The ten seniors will be recognized for their achievement at senior night, October 8, during the second to last home game against Hayfield.

Filed Under: Sports